TOKYO – When it comes to the buildup for this weekend’s UFC 144 event, there seems to be as much discussion about what it means to the future of the sport in Japan as to what it means for the 24 fighters on the card.

In fact, “The Fireball Kid” seems far less concerned about preparing specifically for replacement opponent Eiji Mitsuoka (18-7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) than he is for shouldering the future of MMA in his native land.

“Of course,” Gomi told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) through an interpreter when asked if he felt it was necessary to make an impact at this weekend’s event. “I think most of the fighters are thinking the same way.”

Gomi and his opponent Mitsuoka are two of nine Japanese fighters competing at UFC 144, which takes place Sunday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and airs in the U.S. on Saturday night. Chinese prospect Tiequan Zhang also competes on the card, and Ben Henderson, whose mother is Korean, challenges Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title in the evening’s main event.

Add former PRIDE superstar Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to the night’s lineup, and you’ve got a fight card obviously designed to draw the interest of the Japanese fans.

It’s the UFC’s first event in Japan in more than 11 years and comes nearly five full years since the collapse of the country’s PRIDE Fighting Championships, which was once the world’s largest organization.

Former PRIDE champ Gomi went on to fight six more times in Japan before joining the UFC, but his past four fights have all taken place in the U.S. At Wednesday’s media workout session in Tokyo, Gomi still appeared to be a bit of a media darling, but he admits he’s not 100 percent sure what kind of response he’ll receive inside the arena.

“I would like to see how the fans are going to respond to my fight,” Gomi said. “The only thing I can do is do my best.”

Gomi was originally expected to face George Sotiropoulos at UFC 144, but an injury forced the Australian to withdraw from the card, allowing Mitsuoka a chance to step in. A 13-year-veteran of the sport, Gomi said the curveball was of no concern.

“All I’ve done was to do my training in my way,” Gomi said. “I’m never concerned about my opponent. I’m not worried anything about whether it’s changed or not.

“My opponent is a Japanese fighter, so all I can do is do my best, and I’ll see the results that come from it.”

In the end, Gomi may need a win for himself as much as the future of MMA in Japan. After all, following a stellar career in the country, Gomi is just 1-3 in four UFC fights. But when pressed, Gomi declined to addressed how the bout will impact him personally. Instead, he seemed to fully accept the potential impact UFC 144 can have on the future of Japanese MMA.

“I believe so,” Gomi said when asked if the UFC can someday be as big in Japan as PRIDE was in its heyday. “But it’s all up to my fight. I have to show them a good one.”

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

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